Stewart Bint interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW


A little introduction:

Stewart Bint (66), who is married with two grown-up children, has been a writer all his working life, initially as a journalist and broadcaster before moving into Public Relations, and later becoming a novelist. Now semi-retired, he is working on his next novel and writes a monthly column for a local magazine in his home county of Leicestershire in the UK. He usually walks barefoot.


When did your love of books begin?

As a young child. My parents instilled the virtues of reading into me, and I immediately fell in love with the magical worlds contained within the pages.


When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I started to create my own worlds and characters when I was eight, writing my stories in little blue notebooks until my parents bought me my first typewriter for my ninth birthday. It was always my ambition to become a published novelist by the time I was 30, but I missed that deadline by 26 years! My first novella came out just as an ebook when I was 56, and it was another three years before I was picked up by a mainstream publisher which brought out my first paperback.


How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Interesting, to say the least. And it differs from person to person. For me, I self-published a couple of novellas initially with Smashwords, a company which only deals with ebooks.I was doing a press photoshoot with two other authors who both had paperbacks. They were holding their print copies, and all I had was my cover showing on my Kindle. I wanted a piece of the print action, so submitted to mainstream publishers, and was fortunate enough to be accepted almost immediately.


What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

There are two vital aspects to becoming an author. Actually, three, because you've got to be lucky enough for a publisher to take you on if you want to go down that route. Althernatively, there are several self-publishing roads. If you do choose to self-publish, avoid the so-called vanity publishers - that's any "publishing company" that asks for money from you - like the plague. Reputable traditional and RVP (Rapid Versatile Publishing companies) will pay for editing, production, cover design, voice actor fees for audio production, etc.  But back to the two main aspects for mainstream publication: A: get your first draft completed, no matter how long it takes. And B: never give up on your publishing dream.  


Tell us about your book/books:

I have five published books - three with Dragon Moon Press, and two with Next Chapter.Two are paranormal / horror: In Shadows Waiting, and To Rise Again. Then there's Timeshaft, which is sci-fi / time travel. The Jigsaw And The Fan is my one attempt at humour / satire. And my last book, Thunderlands, published in 2018, is a collection of 21 short stories.I'm currently working on a stand-alone sequel to In Shadows Waiting, which  was published in 2015, and set in 1982 when the main character was 18. The new one, scheduled for publication in Spring 2023, is set in 2020 and 2021 when he's 56 and 57. It's fascinating to be back inside his head and seeing how things have changed for him.  



What do you love about the writing/reading community?

The fact that it is a genuine community and everyone looks out for each other. Although we're all writing in a competitive market, I've never got the sense that we're competing against each other. We each have a unique product to offer, and we actively support each other by promoting other authors' books.


If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Thank you for taking the chance with my books. You'll see they're not great literature or great art, but people tell me they're good stories, told in an entertaining way. And to me, that's what being an author is all about: entertaining my readers. I agree wholeheartedly with prolific author Jeffrey Archer who says: "Don't call me a writer, because I'm not. I'm a storyteller."


Where can people connect with you?

My books are available in many formats (paperback, hardback, large print, audible etc.) through many outlets, including Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00D18IARSI love interacting with my readers, and am always happy to chat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorSJBI also have a Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/StewartBintAuthor   and a website which incorporates a blog:  https://stewartbintauthor.weebly.com/


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